ASA Help?

[shayallen]

I just got a Leica M7 and sometimes when I go to take a picture "ASA" will blink in the bottom of the window instead of showing a shutter speed. I shoot with T-Max 400 and Tri-X 400... I am really not sure if my M7 has the updated DX optical reader. I like to set it myself anyway as I bulk load my film and don't have a problem setting the ISO my self. I don't know what ASA means or why it blinks!

 

[Al Kaplan]

American Standards Association is ASA. The International Standards Organization (ISO) took over, using the same numbers. It's a way of stating the "speed" of films, how sensitive they are to light. ISO equals ASA.

 

[shayallen]

Thanks for the info... But why does it blink and not allow me to release the shutter?

 

[kmerenkov]

Read your M7 manual. I've definitely seen it there, but I don't remember exactly what it is. Maybe it gets that cassette is DX-coded but cannot understand the code.

In case you don't have a manual, they are downloadable from leica site.

 

[RichardB]

From M7 Manual:

"if the dial is set to an invalid position between"DX" and the manual values, "ASA" flashes for the enitre display duration of 16 secs"

What looks like s single setting device on the back of the M7 is actually two setting devices.
A push on the little button and turn of the outer dial allows compensation to be set.
A push on the inner dial and turn allows an ASA to be set manually. If the dial is between "DX" and an "ASA" speed, "ASA" flashes for 16 sec before reverting to 100 ASA setting.
Make sure all the dials are aligned to ASA, there is sometimes a little play involved and when you get it correct and the finder indicates the ASA of the film in the camera, leave it and don't fiddles with it. Good luck.-Dick